Govt has launched several schemes for minority: PM

New Delhi: Rejecting claims that the Sachar
panel recommendations were ignored, Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh on Thursday, said the government had launched several minority
welfare schemes based on the suggestions and the same were
showing good results.

"I have often heard people say that the government has
not implemented the recommendations of the Sachar Committee, I
wish to state here today that this is not true," he said
addressing a conference of Dalits and minorities.

Singh said the government had launched several schemes
acting on the recommendations of the Sachar Committee and the
same initiatives were bringing about a change in the situation
of minorities.

There has been an increase in the recruitment of
minorities in government jobs, security forces and banking
services, he said, adding the loans for such communities in
priority sector has also risen from nine per cent to 15 per
cent in the past four years.

The Prime Minister listed out a number of schemes
launched by his government for the welfare of minorities and
weaker sections.
Lauding entrepreneurs from the SC/ST communities, Singh
said the government has decided to give primacy to them in
procurements made by the State.

He also asked those present to highlight the achievements
and successes of the weaker sections in various fields which
would inspire the new generation to contribute to development
of the nation.

Recently, the Prime Minister said the government had
announced a Rs 3884 crore loan waiver scheme for the handloom
sector which employs a large number of weavers from the
minority and scheduled caste community.

"This economic package is expected to benefit nearly
three lakh individual weavers and 15,000 cooperative
societies," he said.
Besides, he said the government has also announced a
separate package for handloom weavers which entails an
expenditure of Rs 2362 crore in the 12th five year plan.

The Prime Minister said the government has also made a
provision of 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities within the
27 per cent reservation for OBCs.
"We hope that these efforts will help improve the
conditions of the socio-economically weaker sections of the
society," Singh said.

He listed the annual 40 lakh scholarships for students
from minority communities and the multi-sectoral development
programme for 90 minority-concentration districts as the two
key initiatives of the UPA government.

Addressing the conference, LJP chief Ramvilas Paswan
demanded reservation in private sector jobs and the judiciary.
He wanted the government to start a separate Indian
Judicial Service in which reservations could be provided for
the weaker sections of the society.
Paswan also thanked the Prime Minister for reinstating
the minority quota in the Lokpal Bill.